by Vic Broquard
“You saved my fortress, Zoran! I will never forget it,” Baron Leo spoke up.
“But what about your golds?” Baron Clav growled.
“Gone too. All dragons on all of our worlds are gone for now, baron. However, don’t go getting any ideas of invading Adapazan. I can just as easily bring them back again,” Zoran threatened his enemies.
“I’ll keep watch, but I expect to hear how this miracle was done when you come to the council,” Baron Clav replied antagonistically. Old hatreds still had not melted.
“Good, that’s all. I need to get back in case some of them try to return. Keep me posted,” Zoran explained and then departed.
“That has to be the shortest meeting in history,” Baron Leo commented. Everyone laughed.
“Most significant too,” Baron Stefan added. “I can’t believe this dragon war is over! Incredible. How could he and Danika and Jarmila have managed this? Guess we will have to wait a few weeks.”
Chapter 42 Adjustments
Back at the pyramid on Voss, Zoran now faced an ethical dilemma. Just how much of all their ancient history should he reveal to all the barons? Ought he bring all of them to the pyramid and show them how to use it? If so, then others could take turns watching for the return of the dragons and dispose of them. On the other hand, his enemies could well bring them back and have them attack Adapazan or other allied planets.
“Look, this whole pyramid and its operation was almost lost to us forever, dad,” Jarmila spoke her mind. “It’s really a miracle that we even discovered it. Who knows, maybe fifty years from now, the blacks will return. By then, you will be dead and buried, but the dragons live for hundreds of years. Our children have got to know about the pyramid and how to use it. We’ve got to keep this site and this machine protected and ready. Besides, everyone ought to know our history, even if it is ancient.”
“Even our enemies?”
“Who knows who our enemies will be fifty years from now, dad. Look, two years ago, Jing was our enemy and now they are our allies. Likely Anwyn is now with us too,” she countered. “I think that we ought to teach each baron and baroness how to use this thing.”
“What about telling them that anyone can become a Duska if they are given the ceremony while they are young enough? Baron Clav might just get the idea to make hundreds of them and send them to attack us,” Zoran countered. “That’s in the journals as well.”
Danika spoke up. “If you censor part of the journals, then that alone will raise the suspicions of our enemies, Zoran. They won’t trust you. I agree with Jarmila. Make each world a complete copy of the journals. Still, we should put strong defenses around the pyramid and retain control of it. Perhaps some of the “have-not” barons would like to relocate to Voss. There is a whole world here where they can pick and choose where they want to live. Certainly treasure hunters will want to scour Voss. I love our endless water pitcher and that fine stove in the kitchen here. Quite a lot of other magical items are likely to be found here on Voss as well. I think that the “have-not” barons will have far too much to do now than try to bring back the dragons or to attack us. But I do think that you should quickly get all of our Archmages brought here and grooved in on how to operate the machine. That way, we don’t have to be stuck here for weeks doing nothing.”
Zoran agreed and began bringing all his Duska and Archmages here to the pyramid, where Danika showed them how to operate the machine. Meanwhile, Jarmila and Miroslav worked on making sixteen copies of Bandar Zar’s journals A through T. Zoran decided against duplicating Bandar’s journals written in the new worlds just yet. They were not particularly relevant to the current situation and he didn’t want to reveal that anyone could become a Duska, if they were not yet twenty-one years old.
The 15th of May, Zoran summoned all of the barons and baronesses with their advisors to his fortress at Brn, filling up his plain Great Hall. While High Priestess Jarmila and the Archmages began handing out the large stacks of copied journals of Bandar Zar, Zoran addressed the anxious assemblage.
“I’ve taken the liberty of inviting all of you here for this vital meeting. As of now the Dragon War is over. So far, they have heeded my warning not to return to our worlds or to Voss. I have a whole lot of explaining to do. Much of what I will be telling you can be found in the copied journals of Bandar Zar which our priestess Jamila has copied for you, one for each world. I will summarize the salient facts.”
“Originally, our ancestors lived on Voss. There is a wall fresco which denotes where each of our groups came from on Voss, where their lands were located.” He began relating the key turn of events that happened millennia ago. Then, he discussed in detail the pyramid and its unique powers.
“Danika, Jarmila, and I found a way to reverse the pull and we forced each type of dragon off of our worlds and sent them back to their original world. As they were in transit, we told each dragon that if they should return to our worlds or Voss, then I would send them into a sun. So far, they have not attempted to Shadow Walk back here. However, as you know, a dragon’s lifetime is more than five of ours. Hence, I feel that it is crucial that we pass on our hard-learned knowledge of the machine’s operations to all here and to our descendants, in case the dragons try to return in say a hundred years. Soon, I will be taking each of you to Voss and showing you how the machine works. The idea being that between our worlds, there will be someone who can run the machine if the dragons again make their appearance on our worlds in the far future.”
“On a different note, Voss is totally habitable. I have laid claim to the mountainous lands that were the Republic of Adapazan and in which the pyramid lies. So yes, I want to keep control of the pyramid constructed there so that I can keep the dragons at bay. However, this is a golden opportunity for those of you who consider your world a ‘have-not’ planet. I would like you barons from Rehor, Jing, Dietmar, Anwyn, and Asami to have the first choice of lands on Voss. Once they have picked, then let’s allow the other neutrals to make their picks. The ‘have’ planets will then choose from what’s left. This way, perhaps we can end this eternal conflict between the ‘have’ and ‘have-not’ planets.”
His wholly unexpected announcement took the enemy barons by surprise. Zoran allowed the murmurs to run their course. “So I’ll take you first to the pyramid and show you the machine that has saved us all from the dragons. After that, I’ll take you to the wall plaque that shows the lands that your ancestors held. From there, you are welcome to scour Voss and begin making your picks of new lands. I sincerely hope that we are now embarking on a new era of peace and prosperity for all of us. Oh yes, Zdenka wants me to tell you that we will continue training all of the women until they have gone as far as they can in their magic training.”
When he finished, he received an enthusiastic round of applause, even from his archenemies. Zoran took this as a positive sign. Then, he and his Duska companions began Shadow Walking over two hundred men and women to Voss and the pyramid, where Danika gave them a guided tour and explained briefly its operation.
Later, Baron Leo and Baron Stefan took him aside. Baron Stefan asked, “Do you think that the dragons will come back? Will they stay away?”
“I don’t know, barons, but that is why I want all of us to know how to run the machine. That way, if they do come back and kill me, the knowledge of the machine will not perish with me.”
They grinned. Baron Leo added, “I like the way that you are keeping physical control of the pyramid. I sure would not trust it in the hands of Baron Clav. He might just try to make another deal with the blacks and reds, bringing them back.” All three men chuckled.
The End.
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